Pre collision alert system

[Michael_vroomvroom]

If the detection algorithm is perfect, and it never freaks out for no reason, and it never brakes unless it is absolutely clear, without any shadow of a doubt, that it's too late for any human being to possibly react anymore, then you can treat it as a minor aid, and all is fine.
But if it brakes while you're in control, then it's not a minor aid, but a major nuisance.
If your reaction after it brakes is "oh my God, lucky me, it has saved me", then all is fine.
If your reaction is "holy shit, why on Earth are you braking, you stupid crap?", then all is not fine.

Most systems don't need to work perfectly to be useful, and few complicated things work perfectly anyway.

In six weeks it has triggered 3-4 times, all in situations where it was reasonable for it to trigger and where I was too busy wondering wtf the car in front was doing and whether I need to hit the brakes myself now, to be distracted by the warnings.

If later today it triggers for no good reason, that will not bother me much. One false positive in 45 days of driving? That's more than acceptable for me as I don't expect much of anything to work perfectly, and I have yet to have it start braking by itself as far as I know, even on the "medium" setting.

Cardboard boxes will either not work at all (i.e. will not be detected), or will work perfectly (i.e. the car will brake at the very last moment, just on the verge of touching the box). It wouldn't be a relevant test.

If it works it's a relevant test to answer the question regarding what will happen in manual transmission cars.

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[Vlad Soare]

Most systems don't need to work perfectly to be useful, and few complicated things work perfectly anyway.

That depends on the consequences of not working perfectly. Radio not working perfectly, no big deal. Brakes not working perfectly, big deal.
Would you drive a car equipped with an airbag, if you knew up-front that there's a 10% chance that it deploys in error? I know I wouldn't.

In six weeks it has triggered 3-4 times, all in situations where it was reasonable for it to trigger and where I was too busy wondering wtf the car in front was doing and whether I need to hit the brakes myself now, to be distracted by the warnings.

My point exactly. You were already aware that something might happen, and were already prepared to brake yourself if needed. So an unexpected, violent, automatic brake would have been useless. It wouldn't have saved your life.
You're talking about the warnings. I have nothing against the warnings. It's only the active braking I have a problem with.

If later today it triggers for no good reason, that will not bother me much. One false positive in 45 days of driving? That's more than acceptable for me as I don't expect much of anything to work perfectly, and I have yet to have it start braking by itself as far as I know, even on the "medium" setting.

Mine does brake itself on the 'low' setting. Who knows, maybe in the Mustang they got it right. I will give it a chance. But as soon as it brakes when it shouldn't I will shut it down one way or the other.

If it works it's a relevant test to answer the question regarding what will happen in manual transmission cars.

Oh, I'm sure it will stall the engine unless you're quick enough with the clutch.

 

[Michael_vroomvroom]

That depends on the consequences of not working perfectly. Radio not working perfectly, no big deal. Brakes not working perfectly, big deal.
Would you drive a car equipped with an airbag, if you knew up-front that there's a 10% chance that it deploys in error? I know I wouldn't.

I would still prefer brakes not working perfectly to no brakes.

In six weeks it has never deployed in error, unless I consider 3-4 warnings about something that looks like it may become a problem, but which turns out to not be a problem, an error. It has never deployed the brakes in error (or at all I think). So 10% chance to deploy in error is not a reasonable comparison to the pre-collision assist system. Assuming Ford's system is similar to the systems AAA tested, it seems the car producers are erring on the side of "not brake" rather than braking, probably because they know how imperfect the system still is and that suddenly braking in error might it self very well create the problem it's designed to avoid, just as the airbag blowing out in error would.

Not sure why your non-Mustang car seems to suffers so much from this, but unless other Mustang owners have problems with it triggering and braking for no good reason, maybe the experiences in your non-Mustang car are not terribly relevant, and you should wait and see how it works before looking for ways to disable it.

 

[Vlad Soare]

unless I consider 3-4 warnings about something that looks like it may become a problem, but which turns out to not be a problem, an error.

No, that's OK. I don't mind that.
Actually, come to think of it, I can't remember having had warnings for no reason. The warning part of the system seems to be very accurate.

Not sure why your non-Mustang car seems to suffers so much from this, but unless other Mustang owners have problems with it triggering and braking for no good reason, maybe the experiences in your non-Mustang car are not terribly relevant, and you should wait and see how it works before looking for ways to disable it.

That's what I'm hoping, too. I will give it a chance. We'll see...

 

[shogun32]

but I'm not immediately sure on how I could try it in a safe manner. Perhaps driving through a big cardboard box and see what happens would work

The industry standard test as perfected by Tesla is to approach a fully lit up Fire Truck sitting parked in your lane or in the runoff at greater than 30mph and see if the car will stop in time. To date Tesla has a 100% success rate of hitting the fire truck. But since Ford's modules are industry standard parts instead of Tesla's home-grown "we're smarter than the legacy auto industry", it'll probably save your car and the innocent fire men.

The box idea is good though trash bins or traffic cones are probably better seen. Though to be a more realistic test, have your ex jump off the sidewalk into the path of travel or get one of those stoner youths to come skateboarding out of a driveway. You could make it a cul-de-sac game, who wants to play Asteroids with the oncoming car.

 

[Vlad Soare]

It does detect pedestrians. I've seen it activate occasionally when a pedestrian crossed the street in front of me and I slowed down a bit less than the car thought appropriate.
However, it always, always, activated after the pedestrian had already got out of my way. So I wonder whether it's really useful in an emergency situation.

 

[Dabitz]

I've had mine go off a bunch of times on the street. I was surprised that they do not give you an option to turn it off, which I wanted to do at the track, so I ended up just setting it to low. I generally have it on normal.

There is a button on the turn signal lever.

 

[Michael_vroomvroom]

The box idea is good though trash bins or traffic cones are probably better seen. Though to be a more realistic test, have your ex jump off the sidewalk into the path of travel

Which of the ex's? Oh, yes, I see. I have a couple of good candidates. Will ask them.

Does anyone know the max speed I can hit an ex at without damaging the hood? Just in case I mean, though I've let the exs know we here all agree the system works 100% 100% of the time.

 

[Vlad Soare]

Any speed, if you install one of these.

 

[2015Etrac]

There is a button on the turn signal lever.

To turn it off? Is that on the 2016's too or just the 18+?

 

[Bikeman315]

To turn it off? Is that on the 2016's too or just the 18+?

The button on the turn signal stalk is for the lane departure system. Adjustments to the Pre Collision Alert system are made in the information display.

2016's did not have lane departure. They did have Pre Collision Alert without automatic braking.

 

[2015Etrac]

The button on the turn signal stalk is for the lane departure system. Adjustments to the Pre Collision Alert system are made in the information display.

2016's did not have lane departure. They did have Pre Collision Alert without automatic braking.

Surprisingly, when I go to the display it only gives me the option to turn it to low, there isn't an option to turn it off. Hopefully it won't be beeping all the time at the track.

 

[Bikeman315]

Surprisingly, when I go to the display it only gives me the option to turn it to low, there isn't an option to turn it off. Hopefully it won't be beeping all the time at the track.

You do not see this? Maybe your dealer can help.

 

[Torched10]

I don't see those options on my 2019
Where is it in,owners manual,or on info display

 

[Vlad Soare]

I believe they're still optional in the US (lucky you!). They're only mandatory in Europe.

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